Discuss: Mobile Platforms

Agencies generally choose mobile platforms once they secure resources and plot a mobile strategy. The platforms decision does not have to fall between mobile Web and a number of native apps platforms. The agencies we spoke to encountered a number of scenarios and concerns.

A number of agencies favor mobile Web because of the complexity of choice when considering a native app.

Other agencies wanting to take advantage of the features of the device and to provide a richer experience for users have opted to create native apps.

Some agencies that have approved apps are targeting mobile Web first. If the requirements for a particular app cannot be met by a mobile website, the agency requires that the app be developed for all platforms – iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Windows. Some agencies take a dual strategy where they create a native app on one platform and a “mobile Web” version for other platforms.

Staff at one agency requiring that the native apps be developed on multiple platforms was concerned that they might appear to favor one platform over another if they selected one.

A few agencies have looked to platform market share when making decisions about which platforms to use. This has been a moving target, as market share has been changing rapidly. One agency said it was not going to develop for devices that its audience did not use.

The challenge with multiple platform development is that the agency has to duplicate functionality, and the cost, of multiple platforms. One agency estimated once you have completed an app on one platform, it only counts for 20 percent of work on the next platform. Also, agencies have to keep abreast of maintenance on multiple platforms.

Your Turn

Have you experienced any of these or other scenarios when thinking about your mobile platforms for your agency? What platform challenges have you had when trying to put out a mobile product?

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